Apparatus for applying hoops and/or liners to barrels



A. B. HOUTZ May 13, 1930.

` APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HOOPS AND/OR LINERS TO BARRELS 3 Sheets-SheetFiled Dec. l1, 1928v May 13, 1930. A. B. HOUTZ 1,758,837

APPARATUS FOR APPLYIG HooPs AND/0R LINERS'TO BARRELS Filed Dec. 11, 192es sheets-sheet 2 A. Es. HOUTZ May 13, 1930.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING HOOPS AND/0R LINERS TO BARRELS Filed DeCr.. ll,1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 1.3, 1930 UNITED STATES ALFRED B.HOUTZ, OF ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA APPARATUS FOR APPLYING I-IOOPSAND/OR LINERS TO BARRELS Application led December 11, 1928.

This invention relates to apparatus for winding flexible wooden strips,such as barrel hoop stock, to hoop or circular form on barrels andnailing the strips to the barrels as the barrels are rotated to coil orwind the strips thereon, and by reference to winding and nailing thestrips on the barrels, I include winding and nailing the strips bothexteriorly and interiorly of the barrels to provide the barrels withexterior surrounding hoops and/or interior circular hoop-like liners,particularly barrel bottom supporting liners; and the objects and natureof the invention will be understood by those skilled in the art in thelight of the following explanations of the accompanying drawings thatillustrate what I now believe to be the preferred mechanical expressionor embodiment of my invention from among other forms', arrangements andcombinations within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus for supporting aheadless barrel, i. e. a barrel body open at both ends, for rota tionstep by step, to wind thereon, either or both externally and internally,thin narrow fiexibie wooden strips and to nail the same thereto toprovide each barrel with one or more exterior wood hoops securely nailedthereto, and/or one or' more interior end coiled or circular woodenhoop-like liners securely nailed thereto, particularly to provide at thebottom end of the barrel an internal annular supporting ledge or shoultosuport the barrel bottom or head and if need be, to provide an anchoragefor the nails securing such head.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide barrel nailing machinesof commerce, with improved means for rotating headless barrels .step bystep and winding wooden strips thereon and nailing the same thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a barrel nailing machinewith mechanism and means for guiding fieXible wooden strips into arotary barrel for coiling to hoop form therein and nailing thereto toprovide the barrel end with an internal hoop-like liner.

W ith the foregoing and other objects in Serial No. 325,18?.

view, my invention consists in certain novel arrangements and/orcombinations of fean tures, parts or mechanisms, and in certain novelfeatures of structure as more fully described and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof Fig. l isa frontelevation, somewhat diagrammatically showing a. barrel nailingmachine equipped with apparatus of my invention operating on a woodenbarrel shown partially in vertical section and also operating on woodenstrips shown partially broken away, to form exterior hoops and aninternal liner on and nailed to the barrel.

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation, showing the barrel in end elevationand the wooden strips in edge elevation.

F ig. 3 is a. detail horizontal section, the barrel being shown inhorizontal section.

Fig. is a detail front elevation, dotted lines indicating the operativeposition of the barrel, the barrel supporting horn or arm not beingshown.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation, the barrel in end view beingindicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 6 is a detail detached perspective of the guide for the wooden hoopforming strips.

Figs. 7 and S, are perspective views of the end stop for the inner orbottom-receiving end of the barrel and the guide for the wooden stripsto be coiled within and nailed to the barrel to form the internalhoop-like liner.

9 is a detail perspective of the free end portionof the barrelsupporting arm. 85

I show, in part, any suitable or conventional barrel hoop nailingmachine. For instance, I have shown in part, a well known automaticbarrel hoop nailing machine of the Morgan type, although I do not wish9U to limit all features of my invention to the Morgan type of machine,as my invention can be adapted to other barrel hoop securing machines.

The barrel hoop nailing machine that I happen to illustrate for thepurpose of showing and explaining what I now believe to be the preferredadaptation of my invention, embodies a base l, for a rigid upright frame2, on which a barrel support or carrier is vertically adjustable bymeans of screw adj usting devices 3.

This barrel support or carrier is arranged at the front of the machine,and embodies a transversely arranged horizontal base portion l, and atop transversely-arranged horn or arm 5, arranged a distance above thebase 4, and at one end joined rigidly tothe adjacent end of base t, bythe rigid upstanding neck portion G, so th at the base il, horn 5, andneck 6, constitute a strong rigid unit, With the horn tree at one endand separated from the base portion, to longitudinally receive a barrela, open at both ends, applied and removed over the free end of the horn,with the barrel resting on the top longitudinal. side of the horn andhanging therefrom and tree to be rotated thereon, and with the hornextendino' througl'iout the length et the barrel. At its iront end, thehorn 5, is usually provided With a pair ot idler rolls 7, to travelagainst the upper portion of the interior surface of the front end ofthe barrel to center and steady the barrel on the horn.

The trame 2, Xtends upwardly in rear oit the barrel su ortinO' horn andat its u 3 )er b z part carries one or more nail noppers or containersand nail feeding mechanism 8, say of the Morgan or any other suitabletype, from which nail conduits 9, lead to vertically re ciprocatory naildrivers or nailing chucks l0, arranged above the horn 5, all of a Wellknown or other suitable type. These nailing chucks are carried andactuated by a transversely-arranged horizontally ldisposed nailing head11, slidable vertically on the upright frame 2, and including the lowerbars 11a. The nailing head 11, is also guided by the up* rights 11b,rising from the arms 12, normally xed t-o the frame 2.

rlhe nailing head 11, (and parts actuated thereby) is reciprocated bysuitable gearing and crank means (not shown) for instance as disclosedby Morgan latent No. 1,605,054, Nov. 2, 1926. Means for operating thenail feeding and distributing mechanism S, is not shown, but variousmeans can be employed for this purpose, for instance, such as disclosedby said Morgan patent` In the apparatus of my invention, the horn 5, isformed and arranged to receive the barrel, open at both ends, either endforemost, and in the particular example illustrated, nail anvils orclinching blocks 13, 13a, are removably clamped in the top longitudinalslot 5, of the horn, belovv the nailing chucks l0, respectively, and sothat the top longitudinal portion of the barrel a, rests thereon and isbacked thereby While the barrel is at rest during the nailing operation,and so that the barrel slides thereover during each rotating oradvancing step of the barrel. ln this example, l show anvil dies or nailclinching blocks 13, at the opposite ends oi slot 5a, under the oppositeend portions of the barrel to clinch the inner ends oi' nails securingend hoops on the barrel, While ii'itermediate anvil dies or nail clinch`ing blocks 13a, are located under the barrel bilge to clinch the innerends of the nails securing, in this example, the tivo bilge hoops. Asthe bilge hoops are oi greater diameter than the end hoops, l prefer toprovide nail chucks for the bilge hoops that Will drive two nails eachnailing stroiie, one in advance of the other in the direction ot' barrelrotation, and hence the bloclrs 13, are each provided with two seriesnail clinching grooves 13b to simultaneously clinch tivo spaced nails.'lhe various blocks 13, 13a, are each, preferably, termed with at leastone series of grooves, each groove having a bevelled or rounded floor tocause the pointed ends of the nails to bend or curl baclnvardly andupvvardly and bury their points in the Wood of the barrel or in the Woodstrip secured thereto. lic so desired, the end nail drivers or chucks10, can also be arranged to simultaneously drive tivo or more nailsthrough the end hoops, or through the bottom end hoop and the liner, orthe center nailers can be arranged to drive, each nail driving stroke,one or more nails through the bilge hoops.

The horn 5, and adjacent members are arranged, to permit a barrel, openat both ends, to be longitudinally slipped onto the horn bottom endoremost, i. e. before the bottom has been applied to the bottom end ofthe barrel and While the staves are temporarily held together in barrelform by one or more exterior surrounding Wire or other temporary hoops.rlhe bottom end of the barrel will hence surround the base portion ofthe horn, remote from the free end thereof, and hence, l provide at thebase end or portion ot the horn means to limit the inward longitudinalmovement of the barrel body on the horn `and to aid in guiding andsteadying the barrel body during nailing and rotary movements. F or thispurpose, l show vertically arranged segmental stop and guide plate 15,normally liXed to and rising from the base portion of the horn 5, andpreferably having a flat vertical elongated abutment tace to abut theend edges of the barrel staves throughout a substantial number ofdegrees of the circle of the barrel end, and along Which the barrel endslides during barrel rotation. rlhis guide and stop plate 15, can besecured to and mounted on the horn, preierably for adjustmentlongitudinally of the horn, by any suitable means, although l happen toshow, for this purpose a horizontal base 15, projecting rearwardly fromplate 15, to fit on the top of the horn, and having elongated slots 15",to receive the bolts by Which said plate is normally clamped in fixedposition on the horn. The plate 15, and its base, are preferably slottedsee 15C, Figs. 7

and 8, to straddle and expose the adjacent nail clinching die or block13, to the nails driven radially of the barrel and down through its end.

In order to confine the barrel on the horn against objectionablelongitudinal movement during nailing and rotation and to hold the barrelbottom end to the desired sliding guiding` contact with plate 15, Iprovide barrel guiding stop mea-ns for cooperation with the open top orouter end of the barrel on the horn, and render such means movable fromthe path of the barrel, to permit application and removal of barrels toand from the horn. For this purpose, in the example shown, I provide asegmental stop and tguide plate 16, which in normal operative position,is vertically arranged in front of or outside the top or outer end ofthe barrel, above the free end of the horn, with the edge of the barrelend in sliding engagement with the flat inner vertical face of plate 16.This plate 16, beyond the outer end of the barrel, performsapproximately the same stop and guiding functions as the plate 15, atthe inner end of the barrel. The plate 16, is fixed to the free end ofand is carried by a vertically7 swingable bracket or arm 16, pivoted at16h, to the bottom portion of the front or free end of the horn, toswing on a horizontal transverse axis toward and from the free end ofthe horn, from inoperative forwardly projecting position, Fig. 9, toupright operative position, Figs. 1 and 2. When the plate 16, is in theposition of Fig. 9, the barrel can be slipped onto and from the horn.After a barrel has been slipped onto the horn, the stop plate is swungto upright position against the end edge of the top portion of thebarrel, in which position, the plate is detachably or removably held by'any suitable means, such as detent or latch 1T, detachably engaging across bar 16C, of the swingable stop.

Means is provided for advancing or rotating the barrel on the horn stepby step, with the barrel at rest during the nailing operations. Forinstance, 1 show a periodically driven rotary shaft 18, arrangedlongitudinally of and approximately parallel with the horn 5, and to therear thereof and carried by brackets 19, fixed to the horn and providedwith suitable bearings for the shaft. This shaft is arrangedlongitudinally of and within the barrel on the horn between the horn andthe rear side of the barrel and between the upper and lower port-ions ofthe barrel. The shaft 18, has fixed thereon barrel gripping and drivingwheels 20, preferably tapered to approximately conform to the barrelbilge or taper and having roughened peripheral surfaces to frictionallyor grippingly engage the inner surface of the barrel near its ends torotate the barrel when the barrel is held'to or pressed forwardlyradially against said driving wheels, For

this last mentioned purpose, 1 show a laterally movable presser shaft21, having idler presser rolls 22, arranged approximately parallel withthe barrel driving shaft 1S, and .to the rear thereof, between thebarrel on the horn and the frame uprights 2. The idler presser rolls 22,are opposite the driving wheels 20, so that when the idler shaft 21, atthe exterior of the barrel, is bodily pressed forwardly radially of thebarrel, its idler rolls 22, will Contact the exterior of the rearportion of the barrel and press the barrel laterally forward into tightbarrel rotating Contact with the rotating barrel driving rolls 20.

Various means can be provided for controlling the position of andapplying forward pressure to the idler rolls 22, although in the exampleillustrated, 1 show the presser shaft 21, located in the lower ends ofhangers :25, fixed to and depending from roclr shaft Qa, mounted to rockiu brackets 25, fixed to frame L). fr lever 26 is fixed to and extendsrearwardly from rock shaft 24, and at its rear end this lever isprovided with *weight 26u. to normally rock shaft 2e, to hold thepresser rolls in operative forward position to cooperate with drivingwheels 20. Any suitable means, such as hand lever 27, can be provided tolift weighted lever26, and carry the presser rolls 22, rearwardly fromoperative position.

Suitable means are provided to rotate the barrel feed or rotating shaft18, step by step, and to assure that the barrel remains at rest duringthe nailing operation. For instance, in the example illustrated, lextend the inner end of barrel feed shaft 1S, beyond the bottom or innerend of the barrel and on said extended shaft end, l fix a ratchet wheel18a, and to the vertically reciprocatory nailing head 11, i secure adepending hanger 23, at its lower part carrying a depending swingablepawl Q9, pivotally coupled to said hanger and loosely embracing andvertically7 movable with respect to ratchet wheel 19, and` having across pin 29, to successively engage the teeth of the wheel and rotatethe wheel a step at a time on the upward movement of the pawl and toslip down loosely over the wheel without rotating the same on the downwrd movement of the pawl. Thus on the downward nailing stroke of head 11,the barrel feeding means remains at rest, while on the upward returnstroke of the nailing head and chucks, the barrel feeding means isoperated to advance the barrel a step. This apparatus is peculiarlyarranged and designed to carry out my method of liooping barrels byfeeding more or less flexible wooden hoop stock onto the barrel byrotation of the barrel employing the barrel as the mandrel on which toform hoops from lengths of stock, and nailing such stock strips to thebarrel at intervals' until the ends of the. strips meet and jthe barrelbilge or taper.

are secured, thereby winding and securing the fiat more or less thinwooden strips to endless circular hoop form on the barrel.

In the example illustrated, I show the machine, arranged and constructedto simultaneously wind four comparatively thin narrow flexible woodenstrips or lengt-hs of wood hoop stock o, exteriorly around the barreland nail the same thereto at intervals, to provide the barrel with fourexterior completely encircling hoods nailed thereto. The four strips Z9,are fed from the front rearwardly over and transversely of the barrel inthe direction of rotation of the top portion of the barrel, and the rearends of all the strips are first placed on top of the barrel under theappropriate nailing chucks which are then operated to nail the stripends to the barrel, thereafter the step by step rotation of the barrelfeeds the strips rearwardly thereto and thereon and the strips aresecured in hoop form by the nailing operations intervening between thebarrel feeding steps or rotations, until the front ends of the stripsoverlap the rear or Afirst secured ends and are secured by the finalnailing operation. To maintain the proper positions, spacing andstraight line feed of the strips b, to the barrel top, I provide a stripsupport and guide 30, above the barrel and a distance in front of theseveral nailing chucks, with separate guideways alined with the nailingchucks, respectively, for the several strips L, and in the exampleshown, these guideways are established by fixed pins 31,

'upstanding from the guide and support 3G.

The guide 30, in this example, consists of a stiff bar having upturnedends 30a, fixed to the frame arms 1Q, whereby the bar 30, is normallyheld in a fixed position approximately parallel with the horn 5, andabove the elevation thereof and consequently above the barrel thereonand a distance in advance of the nailing chucks 10, and this bar ispreferably bowed to approximately conform to As shown, the strips o, areupheld by and feed transversely across said bar in their respectiveguideways. In this connection, it will be noted, that if so desired thebarrel can be rotated step by istep by hand or otherwise, when themachine is carrying out the hereinbefore described hooping method, and Ido not wish to limit myself in all respects to the particular barrelrotating` means disclosed hereby.

I follow, in effect, the foregoing hooping method in providing thebarrel with an internal hoop within an end thereof, to provide thebarrel with a liner which can be eniployed to support the barrel bottomand provide an ancln;l for the bottom securing winding'or coilingagainst the inner surface f the end portion of the barrel and inposition to be secured to the staves by the same nails that secure theadjacent exterior end hoop to the barrel, thereby providing a circularledge or shoulder within the barrel end, an interior hoop, secured bythe nails securing the surrounding exterior end hoop.

To thus support and guide the strips 0, I provide a tubular orlongitudinally hollow strip guide 33, at the inner side of and fixed tothe barrel stop plate 15, (F ig. 8) and locate this guide at the lowerfront portion of said plate so as to be within the barrel on the hornand in front of and below the nail clnching block.13, within the stopplate slot 15C. This tubular guide 33, preferably curves downwardly andforwardly and is open at its opposite ends with its upper or outlet endarranged in front of, close to and approximately below the level of theworking face of said adjacent block 13. One end of the strip c, isinserted in the lower end of said guide and the strip is threadedupwardly therethrough so that the advancing end of the strip will bedirected by the guide upwardly and rearwardly over said block 13, and bepressed down on the top working face of said block by the under surfaceof the portion of tlnl barrel upheld by said block. This starting end ofthe strip c, pressed between said block 13, and the inner surfaces ofthe barrel, and located directly under the adjacent nailing chuck 10,and the exterior end hoop strip Z1, is secured to the barrel end by thenail that secures the end of the end hoop strip o, which nail is drivenby the chuck down through strip Z), the barrel, the strip c, and againstblock 13, which clinches the pointed end of the nail upwardly back intostrip c. The starting end of the strip o, is thus first nailed to thebarrel, as are the starting ends of strips o, and thereafter, theforward rotary advancing' movements of the barrel draws and feeds thevarious strips Z2, c, onto the barrel, either the outer or the innercircumference thereof, to circular or hoop form as hereinbeforedescribed.

lflJhile the apparatus is peculiarly adapted for using the barrel as themandrel or form on which to vsimultaneously wind strips of hoop stock ofwood or other material, to circular hoop form both within and withoutthe barrel, by rotation of the barrel, and to secure such strips bynailing, yet I do not wish to so limit all features of my invention, asthe apparatus can be employed to nail hoops previously completed incircular form and slipped longitudinally to the desired position on thebarrel for subsequent nailinO, and the internal liner or hoop can beformed and secured within the barrel, as hereinbefore described, whetheror not the exterior hoops are formed on or previously applied to thebarrel.

The term barrel, is employed herein in a generic sense to include Woodencasks, lregs, and containerl Various changes, departures, modificationsand/or additions, can be resorted to Without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention as expressed by the claims, and hence l do notWish to limit my invention to the constructions illustrated.

That I claim is:

l. ln apparatus for securing hoops to barrels; in combination7 naildriving and clinching mechanism; means for rotatably supporting a barrelbody; and means for guiding a flexible hoop strip length into the barrelthrough an open end thereof for Winding to circular hoop form againstthe inner sur ace of the barrel by the rotation of the barrel and fornailing to the barrel by said mechanism.

2. Barrel nailing apparatus, including, a relatively fixed support for abarrel body hung on and rotatable around said support on a longitudinalaxis; nailing means arranged exteriorly of the barrel for applying hoopsecuring fasteners thereto; and a hoop strip supporting guide secured tosaid barrel support to guide the strip into the barrel for Win ding andsecuring therein to form a liner.

3. Barrel nailing apparatus, including a barrel body support forcarrying the body for rotation on a longitudinal axis; means for drivinghoop securing fasteners through hoop stock to secure the same to thebarrel body, and a normally fixed guideivay for slidably receivinglengths of flexible Wood strips movable therethrough in the direction ofrotation of the barrel, said guidevvay arranged to guide hoop stockthrough an open end of the barrel for securing therein by said means toprovide the barrel with an end liner.

4;. Barrel nailing apparatus; including a barrel body support forcarrying the body for rotation on a longitudinal axis; means for drivinghoop securing fasteners through hoop stock to secure the same to thebarrel body; and a normally fixed guidevvay for slidably receivinglengths of flexible strips movable therethrough in the direction ofrotation of the barrel, said guideWay arranged in alinement with saidmeans and the hoop location on the barrel, a relatively-fixed anvil forsaid fasteners being provided Within the barrel body near an open endthereof, said guide being located near said anvil to direct said stripsagainst the inner surface of said body opposite said anvil for Windingaround the inner surface of the body and securing thereto to form aninner liner in the body.

5. Barrel nailing apparatus, including a supporting horn to rotatablyreceive a barrel body open at both ends; said horn providing a nailanvil for location Within a barrel end Within the plane of the barrelexterior end hoop location nailing means exteriorly of the barrel fordriving nails through the end hoop and barrel body and against saidanvil, "and guiding means for directing flexible strips in the directionof barrel rotation against the inner surface of the barrel end in theplane of said'hoop location for Winding, by thel barrel rotation` intohoop form Within the barrel end and securing by said nails passingthroughsaid outer hoop; and the body.

6. Barrel nailing apparatus, including a horn to support an open endbarrel body for rotation, a normally fixed end stopfor said body, a nailanvil on said horn adjacent to said stop to lie Within the body and backthe same; an end hoop nailer at the exterior of the body opposite saidanvil; and a guide for lengthsof fiexible strips, normally fixed withrespect to said horn to lie Within the barrel; the outlet end of saidguide arranged t-o direct the strips in the direction of body rotaand acorresponding barrel body stop and guide arranged at and mounted on thefree end of the horn, said front stop being vertie cally movable to andfrom upright operative position, and depressed inoperative position topermit a barrel open at its ends to be slipped either end foremostlongitudinally onto and from the horn around said front stop when saidstop is in said depressed position.

8. A barrel nailing machine, including nailing mechanism; a relativelyfixed barrel body supporting horn; a barrel body rotating shaft`arranged adjacent to the horn to lie longitudinally Within the barrelbodyv on the horn, and provided with Wheels to engage the inner surfaceof the body to rotate the body; means for rotating said shaft; andmovable presser means at the exterior of the barrel body for pressingsaid body laterally into operative contact with said Wheels.

horn to longitudinally receive an open end barrel and support the barrelhanging from the horn top; said horn at its inner end having a barrelguide and stop and at its outerm .115 9. A barrel nailing machineincluding aY end having barrel engaging idler rolls andv a front barrelstop; means for rotating the barrel step by step on the horn; andnailing mechanism.

10. Barrel nailing mechanism including a barrel supporting horn tolongitudinally receive an open end barrel and support the same hangingfrom the top of the horn for rotation transversely across the horn top;a rotary shaft supported adjacent to the horn and 7 below the level ofthe horn top to be located Within the barrel when on the horn; saidshaft having Wheels to engage the inner surface of the barrel to rotatethe same on the horn; periodically movable nailing mechanism foroperating` on the barrel on the horn; mechanism for periodicallyrotating said shaft; and means for cooperating With the barrel and saidWheels to yieldingly hold the inner surface of the barrel in operativecontact with said Wheels.

Signed at Elizabeth City, North Carolina, this 8th day of Dec., 1928.ALFRED B. HOUTZ.

